November is the beginning of my least favourite season. After a few days of what passes for fall – summer-like sunny skies with brown leaves on the ground – the temperature drops, the skies go grey and we descend into the early days of winter. As I type this, the world outside my window looks like a snow globe, but without the magic.
When it gets a bit colder, the blue skies will come back and despite the frigid chill, I will find the weather more tolerable. Right now, things feel decidedly dreary. I am not particularly passionate about the holidays. Some might even call me a Grinch. Either way, this time of year holds little appeal for me overall. It is a busy time at work, with very little excitement to break up the long days.
But it’s not all doom and gloom (even though it is mostly.) This is the time of year when I start to refocus on home decorating – after all, winter fashion is just not a thing when the temperature regularly hits minus twenty; I’ll be in boots and a thick coat daily for the next several months. We recently decided that we want to get a vintage piano for a little nook at the end of our dining room that, until now, has just been a dead space. (Not that either one of us really plays anymore, but pianos are beautiful even if they are just decorative.) Finding the piano was the easy part – figuring out how to get it here is proving to be less so.
We don’t have any other major projects coming up… yet. There is still more work to be done in our place, but we aren’t rushing. We are, after all, still recovering from our relatively traumatic eight-week kitchen renovation. It did turn out beautifully, in the end. (But it took so long that I actually got sick of takeout!! I did not know that was possible until this summer.) More to come on that next week!
And it’s a long weekend coming up. And the following week, I am mostly on vacation – although, much to my chagrin, I don’t think we’ll be going anywhere. So, while the weather outside is frightful, I guess things aren’t so bad… but I’ll never really be a November girl.
I hope you’ll share photos of the piano when you get it in – that’s such a lovely decorating idea. As for the weather, I’m not much of a Christmas fan myself (weirdly given that I decorate fully for it – but that’s always been more for my husband’s benefit, and I guess now Eleanor’s) but I do love the cold and even the darkness and grey of winter. I oddly find it invigorating, which you wouldn’t think would be the case. But now I’m looking out my window and there’s freezing rain so I have no doubt I’ll be giving the world a front row ticket to my very uncoordinated and inelegant one-woman ice capades show later this afternoon when I have to venture out … so I suppose there are definitely parts of winter I dislike.
Courtney ~ Sartorial Sidelines
November is a dreary month! I’d love to see photos of your piano once it arrives!
I am a fellow grinch! Once I found out Santa wasn’t real Christmas lost all its magic for me. I do enjoy New Years as a new beginning of sorts (and my birthday follows at the end of January) so I like to focus on that time. I’m also taking my first trip to Whistler for New Years and am excited for that.
I’m also finding myself focusing on home decorating. As I’m spending more time at home I am noticing what needs to be changed and updated. Enjoy your staycation.
The perfect November mood, I know I say this ALL the time but you’re such an amazing curator. Seriously, such impeccable taste!! Love, love this mood board!!! As for the colder days ahead? I’m with you, winter is usually a harder time of year for me too. Mainly, because I’m always cold! But this year, I’m determined to make it fun, get out & adventure, plus buy a jacket made for end of world conditions. Haha!! Happy weekend Cee!! xo